There's continued evidence that we may once again experience some low water conditions on the lower Mississippi River this fall. The prospects for restricted barge transportation this fall may come as a surprise for many given the healthy amounts of rainfall throughout much of the Midwest this spring and summer. However, the spigot has mostly been turned off throughout August – particularly in states that feed into the Ohio River, which feeds the Mississippi. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 60% of the water volume on the Mississippi River south of Cairo, Illinois (where the Ohio River merges into the Mississippi River), is provided by the Ohio River. As a result, low water volumes on the Ohio River will often translate to low water volumes on the lower Mississippi River. The higher water levels at St. Louis reflect the amount of precipitation in the adjacent regions throughout the spring and summer, which was most beneficial.
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Tuesday, September 2, 2025
USDA Expands Efforts to Strengthen Rural Veterinary Workforce
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced Friday a commitment to new actions to increase the number of rural food animal veterinarians across the U.S. and recruit new veterinarians to join the USDA in their role to protect American ranchers, animals, and the food supply. Secretary Rollins also announced two awardees of the Veterinary Services Grant Program which will allow for expanded capabilities to serve livestock producers in rural Mississippi and opened a new consolidated USDA office with the Rural Development, the Farm Service Agency, and the Mississippi Farm Bureau in line with USDA’s reorganization efforts. “Rural veterinarians are vital for the agricultural economy in the United States. As the number of rural food animal veterinarians continues to decline, USDA is putting Farmers First to ensure we build back our first line of defense in our animal food production system – the rural veterinarian,” said Secretary Rollins.
First Checks Sent To North Carolina Farmers for Hurricane Helene, other 2024 Ag Losses
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services announced that the first group of checks has been sent to farmers who applied for disaster assistance through the 2024 Ag Disaster Crop Loss Program, according to a news release. The first round of checks, announced by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, was sent out to farmers in western North Carolina affected by Hurricane Helene. The payments are part of a total of $478 million in ag disaster assistance crop loss funds appropriated by the N.C. General Assembly to help farmers statewide who suffered almost $5 billion in agriculture losses from Helene, a drought, Tropical Storm Debby, and Potential Cyclone 8. “Getting disaster relief out to our devastated ag community has been a priority for the department, and I appreciate farmers’ patience as we have worked through the process of verifying damage and losses and processing the over 8,500 applications we received,” Troxler said in the news release.
Is the U.S. Corn and Soybean Crop Getting Smaller?
From disease to drought, the 2025 crop has been thrown a curveball late in the season. It’s also pushing the crop to maturity quicker. And with USDA currently projecting a record yield and crop, many analysts say the U.S. crop is likely going backwards in terms of yield, but that doesn’t necessarily mean USDA will cut yield projections next month. USDA’s August crop production report showed a record-high 2025/26 U.S. corn yield projection of 188.8 bushels per acre and a record-high soybean yield estimate at 53.6 bushels per acre. But southern rust could take a big bite out of the U.S. corn crop this year. The disease is causing turmoil for farmers who have a large crop in the making. In some cases, a Hail Mary fungicide application at R4 up to early dent (R5) might make sense this season, say agronomists. But in severe cases, the disease can wipe out 45% of the yield potential in a field, according to the Crop Protection Network.
New Clean Water Rule to clarify WOTUS Definition and Conform with SCOTUS Sackett Ruling
The Trump administration will soon propose a new Clean Water Act rule that could eliminate federal protections for many wetlands across the U.S., according to an internal EPA presentation obtained by POLITICO’s E&E News. Under the proposed rule, the federal government would regulate wetlands only if they meet a two-part test: They would need to contain surface water throughout the “wet season,” and they would need to be abutting and touching a river, stream or other water body that also flows throughout the wet season, the presentation said. Fewer wetlands permits would be required under the new language, according to a slide from the presentation, which was confirmed by two EPA staffers who were briefed on the rule. In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled in Sackett v. EPA that only wetlands with a “continuous surface connection” to a “relatively permanent” body of water are protected by the law.
Brazil set to Retaliate Against U.S. Tariffs
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has authorized the start of a process to retaliate against the 50% U.S. tariffs, according to Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin. Bloomberg reports the U.S. government was formally notified of the decision on Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter. The move was reported earlier by the O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper. Brazil’s Chamber of Foreign Trade now has up to 30 days to analyze the U.S. tariffs and determine whether they fall under the reciprocity law passed by Brazil’s congress earlier this year. If the chamber approves, a group of ministries will study which countermeasures to apply.
Tuesday Watch List
Markets
Construction Spending; ISM Manufacturing PMI 9 a.m. CDT
Export Inspections 10 a.m. CDT
Grain and Oilseed Crush reports 2 p.m. CDT
Crop Progress 3 p.m. CDT
Weather
A small system continues to produce some showers across the MidSouth on Tuesday. A stronger front is moving into the Northern Plains and will sweep southward through the Upper Midwest throughout the day as well. Scattered showers will be found with both systems and temperatures will drop behind the front across the north again.